On Thursday 9 December, Taree Universities Campus (TUC) celebrated its one-year anniversary. The occasion was marked with a free event featuring guest speakers, a movie screening, university partner presentations, displays by local artists, and lunch provided by the local high school.
Pictured: Dr Alison McIntosh and Pastor Russell Saunders OAM
Photograph by Jake Davey
The event was well attended by TUC’s supporters – local businesses and agencies, educational institutions, current and future students, key community members, the Regional University Centres Network, and the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) to name a few. The embeddedness of TUC in its community and the support it had cultivated in its first year was evident.
Dr Alison McIntosh, Chair of TUC, reflected on the achievements of the Centre’s first year of operation which included the sourcing and fitting out of premises; the hiring of a CEO, Campus Coordinator and other staff; establishing partner arrangements with four Universities (Central Queensland University, University of New England, Newcastle University and Charles Sturt University), and welcoming the first cohort of students through its doors.
The Centre has a vision to educate and upskill the community to help fill local skills gaps and grow the region’s economy. Looking ahead to 2022, CEO Donna Ballard is keen to explore how TUC can help support opportunities for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and match students with local workplaces with skills shortages. Being so highly connected within the local community, TUC is well positioned to achieve this goal.
